Community News: Co-op Funeralcare raise over £700 for British Red Cross at Faversham Hop Festival

18 October 2016

The Canterbury Co-op Funeralcare team raised £715 for charity last month, when they manned a two-day tombola stand at the annual Faversham Hop Festival.

The increasingly popular festival attracts over 60,000 people each year, and Nuala O’Donoghue, Community Relations Organiser for Co-op Funeralcare, has been running a charity stand for 10 years. Building a rapport with local people, festival-goers have come to expect her familiar face almost as a tradition.

Nuala commented:

“Every year we donate the money raised to a different local charity, and this year we wanted to support our Co-op partnership with British Red Cross.

“The atmosphere for the 2016 festival was as lively as ever, and it seemed the perfect occasion to tackle loneliness, in a place where so many people come together for fun and community spirit.”

At the stand this year, entrants had the chance to win over 700 prizes, ranging from cuddly toys and children's games, to house hold items and sweets. The money raised will go towards the British Red Cross‘ national partnership with the Co-op to tackle loneliness and isolation across the UK.

Tracey Crich, Senior Community Fundraiser for the British Red Cross, added:

“We’d like to say a huge thank you to Nuala and the Co-op Funeralcare team for this fantastic fundraising effort.

“Community events like the Faversham Hop Festival are a brilliant place to spread our message about the serious issue of loneliness in our communities, and the money raised will help us provide vital care and support for people experiencing loneliness in the UK.”

Notes to Editors:

About Co-op Funeralcare:

Co-op Funeralcare is the UK’s leading funeral director and part of the Co-op Group, the UK’s largest co-op business, whose purpose is “Championing a better way of doing business for you and your communities.”

About the Co-op:

The Co-op, which is the UK’s largest co-operative business with interests across food, funerals, insurance and legal services, has a clear purpose of championing a better way of doing business for you and your communities. Owned by millions of UK consumers, the Co-op operates a total of 3,750 outlets, with more than 70,000 employees and an annual turnover of approximately £11 billion.

About the British Red Cross and Co-op partnership:

The Co-op and British Red Cross are working in partnership to highlight and tackle loneliness and social isolation in communities across the UK. We will provide vital care and support to help thousands of people experiencing loneliness reconnect with their communities, and ensure that the voices of people experiencing loneliness are heard.

We have undertaken a major piece of research that will inform the services funded by the money raised by Co-op colleagues, members and customers; details will be announced later in 2016.